A few months ago we were notified that First Rodeo is a finalist for the category of Western Romance in "The Will Rogers Medallion Awards." The awards, recognizing excellence in Western literature and media, are announced next week in Ft. Worth, TX with festivities connected to "Red Steagall's Annual Cowboy Roundup." I'm excited to be Judith's representative and hope to give an acceptance speech on her behalf ~ plus hear good music and mingle with cowboys!

Aside from a win, this is a case where it really is an honor to be nominated. The award judging criteria states that "All works must represent an accurate reflection of Western Americana, or cowboy and ranch life, historical or contemporary. Historical accuracy is crucial where applicable. Books are judged on their literary quality as well as cover art."

Here's Judith's prompting for the award speech, which I hope to use: Don’t let that pink high heel on the cover fool you. Judith lives in a

ranching/farming community and is passionate about the West. She wrote First Rodeo to let people know cowboys are still a part of our culture and to paint an authentic picture of their life and the challenges they face. She designed the cover to attract a wider audience and I think she was pretty successful. Not many Westerns receive recognition from Redbook and Working Mother! It is an honor to be recognized by the Will Rogers Award Committee.

We'll be back here at the end of the month to report on the cowboys... I mean the awards.